This is a first purchase, with the purpose of evaluating the technical and operational characteristics of the loitering munitions models HERO-30 (light) and HERO-120 (medium), within the different units of the Argentine Armed Forces.
The Minister of Defense, Jorge Taiana, signed a contract with the head of the Directorate of International Defense Cooperation of the Ministry of Defense of Israel, Yair Kulas, for the purchase of state-of-the-art ammunition, within the framework of the plan for the acquisition of equipment to strengthen military capabilities. These are HERO-120 and HERO-30 ” loitering” type intelligent munitions, which were obtained with financing from the National Defense Fund (FONDEF).
This acquisition is part of the Pluriannual Ammunition Acquisition Plan (PAMP), prepared by the Joint Staff of the Armed Forces, which contemplates the purchase of ammunition for the different weapon systems currently in service in the three Armed Forces, incorporating not only conventional ammunition, but also the latest technology, which has been demonstrating its growing relevance in the most recent battlefields, such as Nagorno-Karabakh or Ukraine.
For the Argentine Armed Forces, light loitering munitions were acquired, to be used as anti-personnel weapons against light vehicles or command posts, and other medium capacity munitions for use against armored vehicles, bunkers, anti-aircraft artillery and radars, since they have a higher explosive charge, longer range and loitering time (autonomy).
Together with this purchase, the marauding munition is incorporated in an inert variant, which is the same system but without the explosive charge, allowing it to increase the size of the batteries to give it greater loitering autonomy to specifically fulfill observation and surveillance functions or for personnel training, since it is recoverable and reusable.
This first joint purchase (which facilitates interoperability between the forces and reduces operating costs) will allow evaluating the ammunition mainly with the elements of special operations forces, airmobile elements, Marine Corps elements, exploration elements and for field artillery, who, based on their experiences, will give their approval or not to increase their acquisition.
HERO-30
Transportable in a backpack, Hero-30 is the smallest system in the UVision family of intelligent loitering systems. Hero-30 can be deployed in a matter of minutes and reach speeds of up to 100 knots and is ideal for anti-personnel missions.
Features:
- Weight (kg): 3
- Warhead (kg): 0.5
- Range (field of view): 5, 10, 40 km
- Range (min): 30
- Motor: electric
- Launch method: launch container
HERO-120
Ideal for anti-tank missions or other strategic targets, the Hero-120 is the largest of the short-range systems. It carries a 4.5 kg warhead and can withstand extended flight time of up to 60 minutes.
Characteristics:
- Weight (inside its launch tube): 18 kg
- Warhead: 4.5 kg
- Range: 60+ km
- Autonomy: 60 min
- Motor: Electric
- Launch method: single or multiple
